A second attempt to remove a U.S warship grounded in a marine park in the Philippines is expected to begin on Monday, with the arrival of a larger salvage ship.

The crane ship MT Jascon 25 has arrived in a southwestern Philippines port from Singapore and is undergoing customs and immigrations inspections.

It will proceed to the Philippines' protected Tubbataha Reef where the American minesweeper USS Guardian has been grounded for almost a month.

The Philippines Coast Guard says the crane ship will cut up the US vessel and load it on to a barge taking it to shore.

The MT Jascon can remain stable at sea without having to lower anchors and possibly damage the reef. Earlier efforts to release the USS Guardian were delayed after a first crane ship had problems anchoring in the protected area.

The UNESCO World Heritage site is home to more than 350 species of coral and almost 500 types of fish.

The US Navy says it hopes to begin dismantling or breaking the ship by sections this week with as little damage to the environment as possible.

The Tubbataha Reef Management Office says 4,000 square metres - and not a 1,000 as earlier estimated - has been damaged by the grounding of the 68-metre US warship.